Slovak matters
Slovak matters is a column devoted to helping ex-pats and foreigners understand the beautiful but difficult Slovak language.
Light the Slovak fire
Opekačkas are a quintessential Slovak summer experience, despite burns, mosquitos, and smoke.
Don’t get the wolf!
Fresh air, wet hikes, and a mystery illness.
Don’t you want to?
Regarding terrible Slovak phrases that may please you.
From ‘You’re a champ’ to ‘You saved my life’: A Slovak guide to saying something nice
Compliments can take you a long way in life.
Music in the veins
What to say when someone is bossy or blabs everything, inspired by music.
Kidnapping and virginity: brace yourself for a Slovak wedding
Some of the more traditional wedding rituals seem shocking today.
Dialects: You say potatoes, I say grule...or švábky?
Around Košice, asking for a pipka will get you a pipe but elsewhere might get you a smack.
You say nazdar, I say dovi
From ships to Latin, Slovak's greeting vocabulary is rich and broad.
How to get out of a conversation in a hurry
You might be jammed, whistling, or falling, preferably without a parachute.
Slovak romance: What to say when flirting, dating, or dumping
In Slovakia, you don’t just flirt – you "hook" (zháčiť) or "pack" (zbaliť). Here’s the slang you need to play the game – or decode it.
A Spanish bird made of beef
If you get hangry, you probably feel like a wolf when hungry.
Strong as a beech, thin as a poplar
Trees provide a rich background for all kinds of Slovak sayings.
Honey on the tongue, poison in the heart
Hopefully powerful politicians learn that the handle will eventually fall off the water jug.
What to make of mak
What to do when you don't like a beloved Slovak ingredient?
Slovník is its own reward
Reading the dictionary is also funny.
Mikuláš or the Devil: Were you obedient?
In Slovakia, Mikuláš isn't just a jolly old fellow.
Vivat Slovakia: A language guide to independence
Written over 20 years ago, this article is surprisingly relevant to politics still today.
Slovak Matters: Slovak cooking lingo
Mixing up cesto (dough) and cesta (road/way/journey) may cause confused faces around you.
Slovak Matters: Sick as a dog, or under the dog?
The social aspect of being sick has changed since the pandemic, but the language is the same.
Slovak Matters: Hold your mushroom
Mushroom picking is Slovakia's favourite hobby, involving bugs, rain, cold, and poisonous fungi.
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- Naked man wearing only a balaclava and flip-flops caught running through woods with sex toy on a stick
- Should you visit Komárno’s Courtyard of Europe? Probably not. Try this instead. Photo
- Where stones remember: the shifting fortunes of Bratislava Audio
- Weekend: A familiar sight and sound return to three picturesque towns in central Slovakia Photo
- News digest: Ambulance tender turmoil – Penta walks, prosecutor limbers up
- National lacrosse team digs deep into heritage to post best ever result Photo
- Get a glimpse of Bratislava’s eastern hinterland by bike Photo
- Formed 15 years ago, unique island on Hron becomes haven for active leisure Photo
- Should you visit Komárno’s Courtyard of Europe? Probably not. Try this instead. Photo
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- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Formed 15 years ago, unique island on Hron becomes haven for active leisure Photo
- Naked man wearing only a balaclava and flip-flops caught running through woods with sex toy on a stick
- Should you visit Komárno’s Courtyard of Europe? Probably not. Try this instead. Photo
- Filling the English-language gap on Slovak literature
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- Last Week: Once again, the government’s message is ‘trust nobody’
- Get a glimpse of Bratislava’s eastern hinterland by bike Photo
- Bratislava revives historic woodland as community oasis in Petržalka
- News digest: Ambulance tender turmoil – Penta walks, prosecutor limbers up
- Weekend: A familiar sight and sound return to three picturesque towns in central Slovakia Photo
- Strangers are hiding gifts in Slovak cities – and people love it
- ‘If we rely on AI, we’ll become less smart’, linguistics professor warns
- Slovakia records first Q fever outbreak in 30 years
- News digest: Fico’s coup story falls apart in the sun
- Slovak winemakers tied to bribery scandal linked to EU subsidies
- German auto supplier ZF to shut Slovak factory More articles ›
